Improvement in incubators



H. B. TATHAM, Jr. Incubator.

No. 220,191. A Patented Sept. 30,1879.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY l3. TATHAM, JR, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN INCUBATORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 220,191 dated September30, 1879; application filed April 8, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, HENRY B. TATHAM, J r., of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Incubators, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The object of my invention is to construct an incubator in which theeggs will always be subjected to the action of volumes of moist air ofuniform or comparatively uniform temperature; and this object I attainin the manner which I will now proceed to describe, reference being hadt0 the accom pan yin g drawings, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinalvertical section of my improved incubator; Fig. '2, a transversevertical section of the same; and Fig. 3 a de tached view, drawn to alarger scale, of part of the apparatus.

A A are the opposite sides, and A A the opposite ends, of the casing orbox of the incubator, this casin g being preferably made of wood, andbeing provided at the bottom, F, with a valved air-inlet pipe, at, andat the top, G, with a valved outlet-pipe, a.

At each end of the box are two transverse partitions, b and (l, whichextend completely across the box from one side, A, to the other, thepartitions b being vertical, and the partitions cl L-sha-ped, as shownin Fig. 1.

Extending longitudinally from one partition d to the other, at a pointsomewhat below the tops of the same, is a tray, B, on which aredeposited the eggs, the latter being placed on a layer of cotton orother cushioning material. The tray B is, in the present instance,perforated, and is provided with a central flue, c, for a purposedescribed hereinafter.

Extending longitudinally across the box from one partition I) to theother is a pan, D, which is provided, at some distance below the top,with a partition, 0, perforated at each end.

The lower ends of the partitions I) extend to within a short distance ofthe horizontal portions of the partitions d, and the upper ends of saidpartitions I) extend to within a short distance of the top, G, of thebox, so that the partitions b and d form at each end of the box divingfines, t, and ascending flues, m, the fines z communicating with thechamber f between the bottom of the pan D and the eggtray, and the tinesm communicating with the chamber 9 above the pan D, while each flue zcommunicates with the adjacent line at at the lower end of the partitionI).

At a short distance above the bottom, F, of the box is a pan, J, whichis somewhat shorter than the interior of the box, so that a flue, n, isformed at each end of the same, these fines communicating above with thechamber 19, beneath the egg-tray, and below with the space (1 betweenthe bottom of the pan J and the bottom, F, of the box.

The pans D and J and egg-tray B extend from one side to the other of thebox transversely, as shown in Fig. 2.

Outside of the box or casing is a coil, M, of tubing, the upper end ofwhich communicates through a pipe, 8, with the interior of the pan Dabove the partition 0, the lower end of the coil communicating with thelower portion of said pan through a pipe, 2, which is carried throughthe pan J in a zigzag or circuitous course.

P is a burner, supplied with gas through a pipe, o, the upper end ofwhich is connected to one branch of an elbow-pipe, Y, the other branchbeing attached to or forming a continuation of the gas-pipe v. Areservoir, Q, communicates with the elbow at the junction of its twobranches, the mercury in the reservoir Q being acted upon by alcohol orother volatile liquid contained in a long tube, to, which projects intothe incubator and is arranged in the chamber f between the pan D and theeggtray B.

When the incubator is in use the burner P heats the water in the coil Mand causes the same to rise therein and flow through the pipe 8 into theupper portion of the pan D, which is filled. with water to about theheight shown, water passing into the lower end of the coil through thepipe 1, which derives its supply from the pan D at a point at or nearthe center and close to the bottom of the same. By

this means not only is a constant circulation of water maintained in thepipes s and t and coil M, but there is also a constant circulation ofthe water in the pan D in the directions pointed out by the arrows Thepan J contains a supply of water, which is heated to a moderate degreeby the hot water circulating through the zigzag portions of the pipe f.

Air enters the interior of the casing through the valved pipe (I,impinges at once against the heated bottom of the pan J, and passes tothe lines 12 n at the ends of the pan, and thence to the chamber pbeneath the egg-tray. The air thus receives its primary heating and ismoistened by being brought into contact with the surface of the warmwater in the pan J, so that there is no risk of chilling the eggs bybringing volumes of cold air into contact with the same, or of dryingthe eggs by subject ing them to the action of volumes of dry heated air.

From the chamberp the air passes up through the central flue, e, of theegg-tray to the chainberfabove the same, where it is further heated bycontact with the bottom of the pan 1), the upper portions of the eggsbeing exposed to this superheated air, which finally passes in thedirectionof thearrows through the tines iand m to the chambergabove thepan, aml thence through the outlet (1.

It will thus be seen that there is a constant circulation of warm airthrough the incubator in the direction of the arrows 2, so that thethorough ventilation of the interior of the apparatus is insured.

As long as the proper degree of heat is maintained within the chamber fabove the eggtray the mercury in the reservoir Q will be in about thecondition shown in Fig. 3, and the flow of gas to the burner P throughthe pipes t 'r and elbow -pipe Y will be unobstructed. As soon as thedegree of heat in the chamber f is unduly increased, however, thevolatile liquid in the tube 20 will be expanded to such an extent as tocause the mercury in the reservoir Q to rise and obstruct the throat ofthe elbow Y, the flow of gas to the burner through the same beingthereby restricted or cut ofl'. Sufiicicnt gas passes to the burner,however,

through a branch pipe, as, to prevent the said burner from beingextinguished, and as soon as the temperature within the chamber f fallsto the proper degree the mercury in the reservoir Q will fall, and theflow of gas will be reestablished. This regulating device forms no partof the present invention.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination, in an incubator, of theouter casing or box A A, the air inlet a and outlet a, the egg-tray B,and the hot-water pan 1), arranged as described, so as to form anairchamber, f, between the egg-tray and the bottom of the pan, and finesat the sides or ends of the box, for causing a. circulation of airthrough the chamber f and over the top of the eggs, as set forth.

2. The combination of the hot-water pan D, the egg-tray B, thedescending flues i, and as cending flues m, as set forth.

3. The combination of the water-pan D, the descending and ascendingflues 'i and m, and the egg-tray B, having a central flue, c, asspecified.

4. The combination of the egg-tray B, the air-inlet a, and thewarm-water pan J, arranged between the inlet and the tray, so as tocause the air to circulate around the same before reaching the eggs, asset forth.

5. The combination of the pan D, having a partition, 0, perforated atthe ends, with the hot-water-supply pipe 8, as specified.

6. The combination of the hot-water pan D, the water-pan J, theheating-coil M, and the pipes .s' and 1, all constructed and arrangedsubstantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

H. B. TATHAM, JR. Witnesses:

WI LIAM J. COOPER, HARRY SMITH.

